MU puts Mbeumo in a difficult position

Bryan Mbeumo has been voted Premier League Player of the Month for the first time in his career.

According to The Times , Manchester United are about to send an official request to the Cameroon Football Federation, asking for permission for Mbeumo to stay in England to play two important Premier League matches on December 13 and December 21, which coincide with the Cameroon national team's gathering to prepare for the African Nations Championship (AFCON).

This is similar to the case of Andre Onana last year, when Manchester United also asked this goalkeeper to join Cameroon late. However, Mbeumo himself did not want to make the decision himself but left everything to the Cameroon team and the MU leadership.

Mbeumo fears a wave of protests from Cameroonian public opinion, criticizing him for prioritizing his club over his country. Although Cameroon's national team plays its first match at AFCON on December 25, its stars must gather 2-3 weeks before. According to FIFA regulations, clubs are required to release players from the national team to serve AFCON.

MU hopes Mbeumo will be exempted from early training to play in the matches against Bournemouth (December 13, home) and Aston Villa (December 21, away) - two direct rivals in the race for the top 6.

With explosive form (5 goals, 1 assist after only 10 matches), Mbeumo's absence could make Manchester United "miserable" during the Christmas and New Year period.

Mbeumo was born in France but chose to play for Cameroon from 2022 after meeting the legendary Samuel Eto'o. He made his national team debut at the 2022 World Cup.

AFCON 2026 will take place in Morocco from December 21 to January 18, 2026, threatening the ambitions of many Premier League teams because their key players play for the national team, including Manchester United.

Cameroon are in Group F with Ivory Coast, Gabon and Mozambique. If Cameroon progress further, Mbeumo could miss up to six matches, including the Manchester derby (17/1) and the third round of the FA Cup. Last year, MU persuaded Cameroon to let Onana stay until after the Fulham game (only missing one match).

Source: https://znews.vn/mu-day-mbeumo-vao-the-kho-post1600930.html